Precious Words
by Sweet Danish Yummy
Summary: Yachiru wants Ikkaku to do the frog dance! He's not too keen on the idea. Can Nemu be of any help? [Ikkaku x Nemu]


Title: Precious Words

Fandom: Bleach

Pairing: Ikkaku x Nemu

Rating: PG for some language

Warnings: Major dorkiness on both my and Ikkaku's part.

Summary: Yachiru wants Ikkaku to do the frog dance! He's not too keen on the idea. Can Nemu be of any help?

Theme: Not sing, but dance

Disclaimer: I am not Kubo Tite, thus I do not own Bleach. I do not own these characters. I am only borrowing them for my own enjoyment. I did not write the frog song. I heard it on a Barney tape years ago and my quirky memory finds it amusing to remember annoying songs from those tapes rather than my science formula.

* * *

She was a woman of very few words. Every word was carefully selected to convey the maximum meaning, because each word was like gold passing over her lips--she was gifted with so few that she held them, precious and rare, to her being. Her words were meant to be heard on so few occasions that each syllable had become infinitely cherished. She would not waste them on idle chatter. She thought long and hard about everything she said, determining if it was worth expending her beloved words on.

It was no surprise, then, that Kurotsuchi Nemu did not sing.

She found it odd to listen to others sing, listen to them spend their words on such a frivolous matter. Singing did no good--it conveyed no useful data, explained no facts, merited little notice. For her, singing was akin to the patch Zaraki-taichou wore over his eye: a leech on words, a useless absorber of syllables.

She was somehow not surprised to find out that Madarame-san sang.

The third seat of the 11th division was so boisterous, so lively, so verbose that she could not muster up any emotion other than amusement as she watched Kusajika-fukataichou jump onto his back and demand he sing the frog song again.

"G'way, Yachiru!"

"Sing, Baldie!"

"I ain't yer trained monkey, now get the 'ell offa me!"

Nemu stood at the gates of the 11th division, and only her years of learning to hide her emotions kept her from giggling at the pair.

"But no one can sing the frog song like Baldie can!"

"Dun care! Gerroff!"

"Ken-chan said ya hafta! Or else he's gonna use ya ta sharpen his sword!"

Yumichika sat on the steps of the 11th division's headquarters, grinning in unabashed amusement as he watched Ikkaku struggle to get Yachiru off his back. "Better listen, Ikkaku. Fukataichou looks determined. Quick, before she starts gnawing on your head again. You don't have much more brain for her to chew on. You really can't afford to lose anymore."

Ikkaku threw his broom at Yumichika. The 5th seat easily deflected it, glancing toward the gates where Nemu was attempting to hide in the shadows. She felt a surge of slight panic, sliding closer to the wall of the gate and further into the shadows. A second later Yumichika looked back to Ikkaku and Yachiru, his grin widening slightly at the scene. Yachiru was beating Ikkaku over the head with the dustpan, chanting that she wanted him to sing the frog song, _or else_.

Nemu stayed close to the wall of the gate, safe in the shadows, watching avidly, her errand forgotten.

Ikkaku finally sighed, shoulders slumping slightly. "Fine! Just get the hell offa me! I'll sing the damned song!"

"Yay!" Yachiru flipped easily off his back, bouncing on her toes as she sat down next to Yumichika, hands on her knees.

Ikkkaku heaved a sigh, straightening his shoulders and clearing his throat. In a tone that was more resigned than anything else, he began to sing.

"There once was a green little frog, frog, frog.

Who played in the woods on a log, log, log."

Yachiru screeched, jumping up. "Baldie isn't doing the dance! Baldie needs to do the dance!"

Ikkaku glared, his stance becoming aggressive. "Ferget it, Yachiru, you just said sing it! You didn' say nothin' about _dancin'_!"

Yachiru stomped her tiny foot, glaring daggers. "Baldie needs ta sing _and_ dance!"

Ikkaku sputtered. "Over my dead, twisted, _rotting bod--_"

Nemu found herself acting impulsively. She'd been smiling for several moments now. The image they presented, the familial feeling that radiated from them, made her ache. She'd always envied Kusajika-fukataichou's relationship with Zaraki-taichou. When she looked at them she saw what she supposed a father-daughter relationship was meant to be. And now, seeing how even Madarame-san indulged the tiny girl, she couldn't help but be just a little bit envious. But, more than that, she wanted to be a part of it. She wanted, for a moment, to feel that she belonged.

And so, as Ikkaku and Yachiru argued about the dance, Nemu stepped out of her protective shadow and walked up to them, bowing slightly. And her words, the words she kept under protective lock and key, fell from her lips more easily than they ever had.

"Forgive my intrusion, Kusajika-fukataichou, Madarame-san, Ayasegawa-san, but perhaps I can help?"

Ikkaku blinked at her, blushing slightly as he looked at the top of her bowed head. "Ne, Nemu--ah, Kurotsuchi-fukataichou?"

"Perhaps Madarame-san can teach me this...frog dance? Madarame-san can then sing and I shall dance."

Ikkaku blinked, not quite sure what to say. Yachiru, however, had no such problems as she clapped, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Yes, Freaky-Captain's-Daughter can do the frog dance! Baldie should teach her while I go get Ken-chan! He'll want ta see this!" With a gleeful giggle she skipped into the building, arms held out to her sides as she moved.

Nemu was a little wary about the inclusion of the 11th division captain but would not go back on her words. She meant every word she said, and she would not go back on them now, however hastily they'd been spilled. Lifting her eyes she turned and looked at Ikkaku expectantly, her expression giving nothing away.

Ikkaku, on the other hand, looked slightly nervous. "Ahh, Ne--Kurotsuchi-fukataichou, ya don't hafta do this, ya know. I mean, it's not really yer problem--"

"Nonsense, Ikkaku! She volunteered! Besides, her slender build would do the frog dance much more justice then your awkward movements." Yumichika brushed his smooth dark hair behind his ear, smiling brightly. "It's a really easy dance, Kurotsuchi-fukataichou! Show her, Ikkaku!" He leaned back on his hands, grinning broadly.

Nemu lifted her eyebrows slightly, her gaze never wavering from Ikkaku, who was glaring at Yumichika as if he'd been betrayed. Glancing back at Nemu and meeting her unwavering gaze, he felt a slight blush rise and splash over the bridge of his nose. Shaking himself he stepped back, sighing.

"All right. I'll show ya the dance. Ya gotta listen to the song, though, 'cause ya gotta move during specific parts or else Yachiru throws stuff." That said he glanced at Yumichika then took Nemu's arm, dragging her around behind the headquarters building, glaring at the 5th seat just before they disappeared to warn him not to follow.

Yumichika sniffed. Honestly, Ikkaku acted as if he had nothing better to do than spy on him and Kurotsuchi-fukataichou...he silently hopped to his feet and tiptoed to the edge of the porch, peeking around the corner.

Ikkaku muttered the words to Nemu, going through the motions of the dance quickly. Nemu nodded, hands clasped in front of her, watching him intently.

"Don't ya wanna try it before we do it for Yachiru?"

Nemu shook her head, weaving her fingers together. "No, Madarame-san, I believe I can do it properly."

Ikkaku eyed her, mouth quirking slightly, then nodded and motioned her to the front of the building.

Nemu thought she saw a flash of yellow feathers as the neared and rounded the porch. However, as they returned to the front of the building, Yumichika was sitting casually in the same spot he'd been to begin with, smoothing a hand over the front of his uniform.

Yachiru bounced out at that moment, twirling then sitting next to Yumichika, grinning. A second later Zaraki stepped out, wordlessly sitting on the steps and staring at Ikkaku and Nemu.

"Okay, Baldie! Ya can sing now!"

Ikkaku wanted very badly to glare at his vice-captain, but thought it best just to do as she said, considering he was within range of Zaraki's zanpakuto. Clearing his throat he began again, looking at Nemu out of the corner of his eyes.

And true to her word, she danced, her movements as sure as if she'd done this dance every day her entire life.

"There once was a green little frog, frog, frog,"

Nemu squatted down, weight bouncing on her knees, puffing out her cheeks to imitate a bull frog.

"Who played in the woods on a log, log, log."

Nemu hopped to the side, finger brushing the ground as she fell back into her squatting position.

"A screech owl sitting in a tree, tree, tree,"

Nemu stood, widening her stance and tilting her hips to the side, pushing her hands out and up toward the sky as if indicating the tree. She repeated the gesture in quick succession each time he said tree.

"Went after the frog with a screech, screech, screech,"

Here Nemu drew her hands in a downward slash in front of her body, now tilting her hips in the other direction and indicating the ground as he repeated the words "screech."

"When the frog heard the yell in a flash, flash, flash"

Nemu tensed, looking from side to side wildly.

"He jumped in the pond, with a splash, splash, splash."

She jumped to the side, crouching down low and covering her head.

Yachiru clapped, grinning. "Freaky-Captain's-Daughter does the frog dance really good, ne, Ken-chan?"

Zaraki looked at Nemu, his gaze slightly amused as he nodded. "Yeah, she does."

"She should come back again every day and dance, shouldn't see?"

"Now waitaminute, Yachiru, she ain't gonna--"

"All right."

Ikkkau rounded to stare at Nemu, eyes wide. "Huh!"

"All right. I would be happy to dance while you sang, Madarame-san."

Ikkaku was silent for a long moment, that odd tint of color returning to the bridge of his nose. Before he could respond Nemu bowed to the group, delivering her good byes and turning to leave.

She would not sing, for she could not bring herself to waste her words in such a manner. She would not sing, but dance...dancing as Ikkaku's deep voice filled her, doing something with him, something that was just the two of them...that would make her happy.


End file.
